ט' כסלו – קונטרס אחרון פרק ד'

To understand how the אתרוג—esrog, which is from the רפ"ח—the 288 sparks that have not yet been fully refined, as well as the קלף התפילין—the parchment of tefillin, can draw down divine light into the vessels of זו"ן דאצילות—Zeir Anpin and Nukva of Atzilus, which have already been refined and rectified through the name מ"ה—the Divine Name Ma, and thus become a level of G‑dliness, we need to delve deeper.

The question is: how can something physical in this world, like an esrog or the parchment of tefillin, which originate from the sparks that have not yet been fully elevated, serve as a conduit to draw down such a lofty light into the already rectified vessels of Atzilus? After all, these physical mitzvos are rooted in the lower realms, and yet, through them, we accomplish the highest spiritual effects. This is the puzzle the Alter Rebbe is addressing here.

The analogy for this is planting and sowing. Just as in the physical world, when you plant a seed or a sapling, something remarkable happens that can help us understand the spiritual process at work in these mitzvos.

By looking at how a seed interacts with the earth, we can begin to grasp how a physical object, like an esrog or parchment, can trigger a spiritual response far beyond its apparent level. The act of planting is not just about the seed itself, but about awakening a hidden potential within the earth.

When you plant a seed, the seed actually awakens the power of growth within the earth. This power is the force of G‑d’s word, as in the verse, תדשא הארץ עץ פרי—“Let the earth sprout forth… a fruit tree” (Bereishis 1:11), which is embedded in the earth since creation.

But how does the seed awaken this power? It does so by העלאת מ"ן לשרשו—raising up feminine waters (a spiritual arousal from below) to their source. The seed, by being planted, stimulates the earth’s inherent power to bring forth new life, which is far greater than what the seed alone could produce. This is a metaphor for how our actions with physical mitzvos can awaken a much higher spiritual force.

In the same way, the קלף—parchment and the אתרוג—esrog, through their use in mitzvos, are elevated to the highest spiritual levels. Specifically, they reach up to the level of שם ס"ג—the Divine Name Sag, which is associated with the state before the shattering of the vessels (sheviras hakeilim).

This level represents the very essence and core of the divine lights in אדם קדמון—Adam Kadmon, not just a superficial radiance as is the case with the name Ma, which is associated with the forehead (מצח) of Adam Kadmon. The elevation of these physical objects is not just to a revealed, external light, but to the innermost essence of the divine, which is a much higher and more profound connection.

Similarly, when one studies and delves into the laws of these mitzvos—learning and analyzing their halachos—this also arouses the level of חב"ד שבעשר ספירות דכלים דזו"ן—Chabad (Chochmah, Binah, Daas) within the ten sefirot of the vessels of Zeir Anpin and Nukva. This spiritual arousal can reach all the way up to the highest levels, even to חב"ד שבס"ג דפנימית א"ק—the Chabad within the Sag aspect of the innermost Adam Kadmon, which is said to emerge through the eyes (עינים), a very lofty and inner level in Kabbalah.

Thus, both the performance of the mitzvah and the deep study of its laws have the power to reach and draw down the most elevated divine lights, connecting the physical with the highest spiritual realms.

All of the above applies to positive commandments—mitzvos aseh. However, when it comes to studying the detailed laws of prohibitions—הלכות איסורי לא תעשה—especially those that are extremely rare, such as the intricate laws of פיגול (invalid offerings) and similar cases, it appears that this same spiritual effect does not occur.

In other words, the unique elevation and drawing down of divine light described above is specific to the performance and study of positive mitzvos, and does not extend in the same way to the study of prohibitive mitzvos, particularly those that are not commonly encountered.